Bike tour 2010: a rambling, disjointed prologue

Cristy and I are getting ready to go on a nice, long bike tour.  Vancouver, BC to San Francisco. We're at t-minus three days until liftoff.

Let's see.  We're packed, for the most part.  We've spent a lot of time packing.  A lot.  We packed, then repacked, got rid of two bags, repacked, got rid of a few more things.  I wouldn't be surprised if we repacked again.  We're that thorough.  We're also that adverse to extra weight.

We're taking care of little last-minute things now.  Making copies of the maps, making sure we have addresses to send postcards, worrying.  That sort of thing.  The last big thing to be done is packing up the bikes, which I'm planning to do tomorrow.  I find this to be the least appealing part of the whole affaor, mainly because I'm afraid that our bicycles will suffer as a result of my ineptitude.  But I have lots of tape, if not courage.

This will be my second tour, Cristy's first.  We've spent the last 4 months or so training.  We're ready.

So the route.  It's the first three legs of the standard north-to-south Pacific Coast route, cartogrified and sanctified by the Adventure Cycling Association.  Approximately 1200 miles.  Some hills.  Lots of ocean views, I imagine.  I'm pretty excited, but I think Cristy is more excited than I am.  In fact I know she is.  But she isn't responsible for packing the bikes, so that might have something to do with it.

The plan is to chart our progress here on this venerable blog as we roll along.  Will we do this every day, filling you in on the excruciating details of our saddlesores?  No, we will not. I promise.  Will we post lots of pictures of the ocean?  Probably.  Will we get lazy and post Youtube videos of sneezing pandas?  Possibly.  Will we brag about how we've become masters of MSR whisperlite stove operation?  Absolutely.

Maybe tomorrow some bike packing photos, if I am not crying too hard to hold the camera steady.